The desktop area of a graphical user interface simulates the top of a physical desk. The intent of the desktop simulation is to make a computer easier to use by enabling users to move pictures of objects and to start and stop tasks in much the same way they would if they were working on a physical desktop. A desktop simulation is characteristic of a number of operating systems, such as the Microsoft's Windows® and Apple Macintosh. For clarity purposes, the following discussion will term a “desktop simulation” as a desktop.
An example of a desktop 100 is shown in FIG. 1A, where one or more application windows 102 are displayed on the desktop 100. Each application window is associated with a software program (application) designed to assist in the performance of a specific task, such as word processing, accounting, or inventory management. The desktop 100 includes a button 106 for causing a pop-up menu (not shown) to appear on the desktop 100 so as to allow one or more application windows 102 to be launched. This button 106 resides in a panel 104 that lies along the bottom of the desktop 100.
When a sufficient number of application windows 102 are created and shown on the desktop 100, the desktop 100 may become confusingly cluttered, thereby making the computer harder to use. As a result, virtual desktops are provided to expand the size of the desktop 100. Each virtual desktop has the same size as the desktop 100. Using virtual desktops allows the group of application windows 102 to be dispersed throughout the virtual desktops, thereby reducing the cluttered appearance. Each virtual desktop may be accessed by clicking on an appropriate area in a desk guide 109. The desk guide may be located somewhere on the panel 104.
One conventional implementation of a desk guide is the desk guide 109A shown in FIG. 1B, where a panel 104A includes a button 106A for causing a pop-up menu (not shown) to appear on the desktop 100 to allow one or more application windows 102 to be launched. The panel 104A also includes a button 120A for minimizing the panel 104A. The desk guide 109A includes a number of buttons 110–116. Each button 110–116 may be clicked using a pointing device, such as a mouse, to bring up a virtual desktop associated with the clicked button. The name of each virtual desktop is displayed on a button, 110–116. These names may be changed. As more and more application windows 102 are dispersed throughout these virtual desktops, it may be difficult for a user to remember which desktop contains which application window. The problem with the desk guide 109A is that it does not allow a user to quickly grasp where he or she has placed various application windows without visiting each of the virtual desktops by clicking on each of the buttons 110–116.
Another implementation of a desk guide is the desk guide 109B as shown in FIG. 1C. A panel 104B includes a button 106B for launching one or more application windows 102 similar to the button 106A discussed above, and like the button 120A, the panel 104B includes a button 120B for minimizing the panel 104B. The desk guide 109B is an improvement over the desk guide 109A in that each virtual desktop is shown as a pane 130–136. In each pane, running application windows appear as small, raised squares 138. Notwithstanding the improvement, the desk guide 109B has problems similar to the desk guide 109A because it is still not possible for a user to determine from these small raised squares 138 the desired application window for which he may be looking. Moreover, many of the panes look confusingly similar to one another, thereby hindering a user's ability to recognize the particular virtual desktop on which he or she had opened a desired application. Thus, a user still has to actually visit each virtual desktop to find a desired application window.
Therefore, there is a need to enhance the visualization of virtual desktops so that a user may locate a desired running application.